Carrier for pneumatic-despatch tubes.



(No Model.)

Patented Dec. I6, I902. E. A. FOBDYCE.

CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATOH TUBES.

(Application and Aug. 4, 1902.

2 Sheets-Shut 1.

l5 '5 la TH: Nonms PETERS co., PHUTO-UYHO., wAsuwcrou. n, c.

No. 7|6,2|3. Patented Dec. I6, I902.

E. A. FDRDYCE.

CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATClj TUBES.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Shani.

m: uckms FUERS co. mcmwmov, WASHINGYQN, u c.

duction and maintenance of such devices.

i N TE it EDMOND A. FoRDYcn, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,213, dated December16, 1902.

Application filed August 4,1902

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND A. FORDYCE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi= nois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriers forPneumatic-Despatch Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to carriers, such as are used for the transmissionof cash, memoranda, &c., in pneumatic store-service systems; and theprincipal object of my invention isto ef fect an increased economy inthe cost of pro- Such carriers as hitherto constructed have usually beenformed by a pair ofs'heet-metal cylinders telescoping each other andprovided with openings which may be brought into register for theinsertion and removal'of the contents, and these cylinders have beenprovided with cushioned heads, consisting of blocks of felt or similarmaterial, which-constitutethe packing or bearing surface of the carrierwithin the tube to insure its subjection to the maximum impellingstrength of the air-current by preventing the latter from escaping bythe carrier when in transit. These heads have hitherto been made fromasolid block of compressed felt or similar material ofa diameter tosnugly fit the interior of the tube and secured by various means one ateach end of the body portion of the carrier. These headsin a busy systemrequire tobe renewed two or three times a year, owing to the fact thatthe peripheries of the heads wear down to such an extent as to permitthe air-current to leak past the carrier, and this comparativelyfrequent renewal of the felt heads involves an item of considerableexpense.

By my present invention I propose to re-. place the usual solid feltheads by rings of felt or like packing material, which cost but a smallfraction of the cost of the solid-felt Serial No. 118,268. (No model.)

connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a carrier embodying myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a centrallongitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section somewhat enlarged through one end of the carrierand taken in a plane at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 2.Figs. 5 and 6 are front and edge elevations of the felt packing-stripwhich I employ. Figs. 7 and 8 are front and edge views of the outerretaining plate or disk of the packing-ring, and

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views of the inner retaining plate or disk.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates the outer and 12 the innercylindrical body mem- -ber of the carrier, which parts are made in theusual form and provided with the usual openings, which may be broughtinto register upon a proper relative turning of the inner and outercylinders. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that the inner andouter cylinders are each closed at one end, said closed ends being atopposite ends of the carrier.

Applied to the outer face of the end wall of the inner cylinder 12 is adisk 13, provided with a short peripheral flange 13, which overlies theclosed end of the cylinder, and to the inner face of the end wall of theouter cylinder 11 is similarly applied a disk 14, provided with a shortperipheral flange 14., which lies within and is inclosed: by the closedend of said cylinder. It will thus be seen that the flange l3cdnstitutes an abutment for the open end of the outer cylinder 11, whilethe corresponding flange 14c constitutes a similar abutment for the openend of the inner cylinder 12. n

The constructionof the two heads .of'the carrier being identical in allrespects, adescription of one of them will suffice. Referring,therefore, more particularly to Figs. 4

'to 10, inclusive, 15 and 16 designate a pair of ble flange consistingof an outwardly-extending inner flange 15 and an inwardly-extendingouter flange 15 which latter flange is notched at close intervalsthroughout its entire extent, as shown at 15, to thereby constitute ofthe flange a series of teeth adapted to bite into the adjacent edge orside wall of the packing-strip in the manner plainly shown in Figs;2and4c. At suitable intervals around the disk,just within the innerflange 15, the sheet metal is cut and bent inwardly to thereby form aseries of tongues 15, which lie at right angles to the plane of the diskitself and are in longitudinal alinement with the inner flange 15. Thedisk is still further provided on opposite sides of its center with apair of holes 15 opposite each one of which is cut in the middle of thedisk a tongue 15 adapted to serve in the manner hereinafter described asa simple form of nut-lock. The inner-disk 16 is constituted in preciselythe manner already described in connection with the disk 15 with theexception of the locking-tongues 15, 16 being the inner flange,'16 thetoothed outer flange created by the peripheral notches 16, 16 thetongues cut from the body of the disk,and 16 the holes for the fasteningdevice.

17 designates the packing, which I prefer to form from a single plainrectangular strip of compressed felt, such as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6,said strip being brought into operative condition by bending the sameinto circular form and securing the meeting ends in anysuitable manner,as by stitching, (shown at 17 in Fig. 1.)

In assembling the parts upon the end of the carrier-body the disk 16 isseated upon the outer face of the flanged disk 13 at one end of thecarrier or upon the end wall of the outer cylinder 11 at the oppositeend of the carrier, the inner flange 16 of the disk telescoping theflange 13 of the disk 13 or the closed end of the cylinder 11, as thecase may be. The annular felt ring 17 is then slipped over the flange 16and pressed against the teeth of the outer flange 16 after which thedisk 15 is applied in opposed relation to the disk 16, the flange 15 ofthe disk snugly fitting within the ring and the toothed flange 15piercing the outer side of the ring. The two end members of the body ofthe carrier having been provided with apertures registering with theapertures 15 and 16, a staple 18 is inserted, preferably, from theinside, the threaded ends of the latter extending through the apertures15 of the outer disk and receiving nuts 18, by the turning up of whichlatter not only are the disks 15 and 16 drawn together in such a manneras to securely grip and clamp the felt ring 17, but the disks and ringare securely united to the end of the carrier-body, constituting inconnection therewith the carrier-head proper. After the nuts 18 havebeen screwed up the tongues 15 may be raised or bent upwardlysufficiently above the plane of the disk to lie near or against theadjacent sides of the nuts, thus preventing the latter from accidentalturning. The tongues 15 and 16 are so disposed as to interlie when inoperative position, and their function is, in connection with theflanges 15 and 16 to serve as a backing or support for the inner face ofthe packing-ring. By reason of this support it is possible after thewearing-surface of the ring has'become worn down to an undesirableextent by simply tightening up the nuts 18 to compress the ringlaterally, and thereby cause the wearingsurface to expand radiallysufficiently to restore the snug fit of the carrier-head Within thetube. After the ring has become worn to such an extent as to make thisadjustment no longer effective I remove the outer disk 15 and the ringand apply within the latter a cloth, rubber, cardboard, or otherflexible annular insert 19, and upon replacing the parts the ring may beagain expanded by drawing together its clamping-disks in themanneralreadydescribed. Owingtothenatural expansible quality of thematerial of the packing-ring, several inserts 19 may be successivelyapplied in this manner, and in this way the ring may be used until ithas worn down so thin as to be no longer effectively held between theflanges of the disks.

The two telescoping hollow cylindrical members of the carrier; body maybe restrained against longitudinal displacement relatively to each otherby any suitable means, that herein shown consisting of a stop-block 20,Figs. 1 and 4E, secured at such a position on the exterior of the innercylinder 12 as to slidingly engage one end edge of the rectangularopening in the wall of the outer cylinder. This feature, however,constitutes no part of my present invention.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the amount of packingmaterial required to equip a carrier in accordance with my presentinvention is but a small fraction of the amount of material required toequip the solid felt-head carriers now in common use, and it will befurther observed that, whereas such solid felt heads when they becameworn had to be discarded, the felt rings of my invention are renderedcapable of greatly-prolonged service as compared with the solid feltheads through the provision of the described adjusting and expandingmeans.

I do not limit my invention to the precise form of packing-ring shownand described nor to the detail mechanism for holding and adjusting thesame herein set forth, except to the extent that the same may be madethe subject of specific claims. For instance, it is obvious that thefelt rings might be cut from a solid disk of felt; but this would in-'volve an undesirable waste of material, and

hence I prefer to construct the rings from plain strips bent into therequired circular form and connected at their meeting ends.

I claim 1. In a carrier for pneumatic-despatch tubes, the combinationwith the body of the IIO carrier, of a pair of disks secured to each endof the body, said disks having inwardly-turned oppositely-disposedperipheral flanges, and a packing-ring of felt or like material clampedbetween said flanges of the disks, substantially as described.

2. In a carrier for pneumatic despatch tubes, the combination with thebody of the carrier, of a pair of disks secured to each end of the body,said disks having oppositely-dis posed inwardly-turned peripheralflanges, a packing-ring of felt or like material clamped at its oppositesides between said flanges of the disks, and means lying between saiddisks and serving as a support for the inner surface of the ring,substantially as described.

4. In a carrier for pneumatic despatch tubes, the combination with thebody of the carrier, of a pair of disks at each end of the body, saiddisks having oppositely-disposed inwardly-turned peripheral flanges, apacking-ring of felt or like material clamped at its opposite sidesbetween said flanges of the disks, means lying between said disks andserving as a support for the inner surface of the ring, and meansperforming the double function of removably securing the heads of thecarriers thus formed to the body and radially expanding thepacking-rings, substantially as described.

EDMOND A. FOBDYCE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. Pom), FREDERICK O. GooDWIN.

